


A Bride for the Prince

by Antares



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Kissing, M/M, Magic-Users, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-23 23:44:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7484601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Princess Jeannie tries to find a wife for her brother</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Bride for the Prince

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Eine Braut für den Prinzen](https://archiveofourown.org/works/7749484) by [Antares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antares/pseuds/Antares). 



> Many thanks to my beta reader Outsideth3box!

Princess Jeannie stomped her foot on the ground with so much force that the china in the cabinet rattled and her long, blonde curls swung from right to left. “I will marry Kaleb,” she insisted, and crossed her arms. 

“But…,” the king started to say. 

The princess interrupted him. “It doesn’t matter to me that he isn’t from noble birth and is only the son of miller. I love him and I’ll marry him.” 

“Listen, sweetheart,” the king took her hands into his. “It’s no problem that he’s the son of a miller. He’s one of the richest millers in town and he’ll bring lots of money into the family and treasury. But…” The king scratched his head. “Well, there’s this paragraph in our constitution that states that the children of the royal family may only marry when it’s their turn. First the eldest than the second and so on...” 

“That means that Rodney has to get married before I can marry Kaleb?” Her voice got a bit louder. 

The king sighed. “Unfortunately, yes.” 

“That is so unfair! Rodney never leaves the house except to go to the hardware store to buy new equipment for his experiments. He’ll hardly find a suitable wife there!” 

“I know, my dear, but I’m sure you’ll find a way to present some eligible women to him.” The king patted her hand. 

Jeannie’s half closed her eyes, nibbled on her lower lip and then declared with conviction, “I’ll be married by the end of the year.” 

If the king muttered, “Poor Rodney,” under his breath, Jeannie chose to ignore it. 

Jeannie set to work. She invited her loveliest friends, but Rodney insisted on staying in his study room. The next time she took his most recent research papers from his room and told him he’d get them only back if he took part in her tea-party. Grudgingly Rodney complied. 

And because Jeannie had the whole household on her side, Rodney stood no chance. Whenever Jeannie wanted him to meet someone, papers, scientific equipment or books disappeared from his study room and he only got them back after having tea with Miko, strolling through the gardens with Katie, going to the theatre with Jennifer. 

One day Rodney couldn’t find the key to his study room and he learned that he had to attend the summer ball of the Countess of Weir to get it back. He fumed and complained to his parents, but in vain. He had to dance with Norina and waltz with Allina and spend interminable hours with lots of ladies who wanted to be seen with the heir to the kingdom. It was as horrible as he had imagined beforehand. 

“I’m never ever going to a social gathering like that again! That was one of the worst evenings in my whole life!” he declared after they had returned and Jeannie asked him if he had liked the ball. “And I’ll never meet one of those women again,” he added. 

Jeannie sighed deeply. At this rate she would run out of unmarried woman by the end of the month. With even more sighing she came to the realization that she needed help. Powerful help. Someone with magic. 

The Fairy Queen. Even thinking of her made Jeannie shudder. No one in his right mind asked the Fairy Queen for help, you had to be really, really desperate to do so. And she was desperate. She wanted to live with Kaleb, wanted to see him more often than for a few minutes and a few stolen kisses. 

The next night, shortly before midnight, Jeannie sneaked into the stables. She saddled her lovely black mare, Atlantis, and when the church bell rang midnight she whispered three times into its ear, “Bring me to the Fairy Queen.” 

One hour later the mare stopped in a small clearing in the middle of the forest. Thousands of tiny, glowing fireflies were the only light besides the half moon. Jeannie dismounted, looked around, and startled when a female voice directly behind her suddenly said, “Well, isn’t that the king’s daughter?” 

Jeannie turned around quickly. There stood Fairy Queen Vala in a black dress, sparkling with diamonds, rubies, amethysts and stones Jeannie had never seen before. 

“Your Majesty,” Jeannie curtsied. “I’m here for a wish.” 

“Of course.” The Fairy Queen sat down on a log and patted the seat beside her. “Come, sit, and tell me what I can do for you.” 

“My brother Rodney has to marry before I can marry. Please help me to find someone for him. I already invited at least fifty young ladies to our home and dragged him to a ball, but he’s only interested in science, and experiments, and inventing horrible things for our household like an automaton that can make scrambled eggs. But of course nobody in the kitchen wants to use this… thing when cook makes the best scramble eggs.” She sighed. 

Queen Vala smirked at her and Jeannie felt herself flush. “I’m sorry. I rambled. Can you help me with a spell, or whatever you use so that he will be married by the end of the year?” 

The Fairy Queen tapped her long red nail against her lips, the rings on her fingers sparkled in the bluish moonlight. After a moment she said, “I can do that. But it will cost you.” 

“Of course.” Jean sprung up and went to the mare. In the saddlebags she had stored a small jewelry box with lots of her colliers, rings, bracelets and pearls. She opened the box and offered it to the Fairy Queen. “What do you want?” 

Queen Vala caressed the nose of the horse. “I have enough gems. I want the mare.” 

“No! Please, take the whole jewelry box but not Atlantis.” Jeannie looked at her with pleading eyes. 

“You want my help, you accept my conditions,” the Fairy Queen said not unfriendly but matter-of-factedly. “I want to give Atlantis to my wife Samantha. I’m sure she’ll like it.” 

Jeannie closed her eyes. Her beloved Kaleb or her beloved horse that was sniffing her fingers with its soft muzzle – tough decision. “Okay,” she finally said with a heavy heart. 

“Hey, honey, it must hurt when you trade with the fairies,” Vala explained. “Or otherwise we’d be swamped by wishes.” She wound her fingers playfully around one of Jeannie’s curls. 

“I understand.” Jeannie nodded. Now she knew why there were these rumours about the Fairy Queen. “So Rodney will be married by the end of the year?” she made sure. 

“Yes.” 

“And happily married!” Jeannie added quickly because rule number one when trading with fairies was to be very cautious. 

“And happily married, well, Rodney-happy. As happy as your brother can be.” 

Jeannie nodded. “Then we have a deal.” Jeannie caressed one last time her beloved horse, and kissed his muzzle. 

“Samantha will take good care of Atlantis,” Vala assured her. 

And before Jeannie could ask how she could return without her horse, golden fairy dust surrounded her… 

When she woke up, she was in her bed, in her nightgown, and for a second she feared that everything had only been a dream. Barefoot, she quickly ran to the stables. No neighing greeted her. Atlantis’ box was empty. So it hadn’t been a dream, she had a pact with the fairies. Jeannie fervently hoped that Queen Vala would send a lovely wife for her brother. 

Three days later her father announced that King Patrick would visit them with his two sons, Dave and John, and of course the rest of his noble entourage. Jeannie was sure that was a sign of the Fairy Queen and Rodney’s future wife was amongst them. 

When some days later the visitors were presented to her, Jeannie stared in shock at the woman at Dave’s side. She realized that she had made a big mistake and the Fairy Queen had tricked her. Prince Dave was accompanied by his fiancée Baroness Vivian who had a mane of long black hair and big, brown eyes which made her immediately think of Atlantis. There was no doubt she had traded Atlantis’ for Vivian, the future wife of another prince! If Rodney married her, they might be happy, but there would be war between their two kingdoms. Oh, no! She had to prevent this by any means. She had to make sure that Rodney spent no time with her alone. Damned fairies! 

The next day Jeannie announced that Dave, Vivian and she would go on a shopping trip and Rodney would entertain John. Before someone could really protest, she manoeuvred her guests into a carriage and a servant accompanied John to Rodney’s study. 

Rodney, who was not amused, told John, “Take a book, sit wherever you like and read, then we’ll get along perfectly until supper.” 

“Nope,” John said. 

“Nope?” Rodney was surprised that someone else than his sister dared to contradict him. “But you’re my guest. I’m the host, and good manners dictate that you accept gracefully whatever I propose.” 

“Then you should propose something I’d like to do.” John slouched down in one of the chairs. 

“No. I’ve work to do,” Rodney complained. “I can’t entertain you.” 

“Tell that your sister Jeannie.” John grinned. “But here’s a compromise. The first four hours we do what you want, the other four hours until dinner we do what I want.” 

“I don’t do compromises.” But Rodney knew that he had lost this round. 

“That changes now.” John took a book from the table and started paging it. 

“Fine,” Rodney said grumpily and started working on his newest invention, a vapour-powered bread cutting machine. He observed John from the corner of his eye, but his guest said nothing more, took another book from the library in Rodney’s room and started reading. Shortly afterwards, Rodney forgot about his visitor and got lost in his work. 

He flinched when John tapped him on the shoulder. “Time to go out.” 

“What? Why?” 

“It’s half past two and my four hours started already half an hour ago.” 

“No, no, no. I…” 

“I want to go the Natural History Museum. There’s a special exhibition about flying machines,” John said, undeterred, and opened the door for Rodney. 

“What? Flying machines? In our museum? Why didn’t I know that?” 

“Perhaps because you nearly never leave the house? I talked to your servants while you were working and they told me a lot about you – and the exhibition,” John added quickly. 

Once seated in the coach, John produced a small basket. “Cook gave me something to eat for you, and one of those bottles you invented to keep hot drinks warm, filled with coffee.” 

For the first time in his life Rodney was delighted that he had company. “You’re more intelligent than I thought,” he assured John, biting into a juicy schnitzel-sandwich. 

“You’re welcome.” John smiled and watched Rodney gulping down his meal and his coffee in record time. 

They spent lovely hours at the museum, going from exhibit to exhibit. And even if John wasn’t as smart as he was, Rodney was very pleased how easily John understood new concepts and how intelligent most of his questions were. 

And when the next morning Jeannie announced that Rodney and three ladies from King Patrick’s entourage would visit the famous Magical Gardens, where one of the rare white unicorns lived, Rodney declined and said that John and he had only seen half of the exhibition and they would return there again. 

“But Rodney…,” Jeannie started. 

She was interrupted by John who said in a lazy drawl that astonishingly left no room for debate, “I voluntarily accept Rodney’s invitation. There’re still lots of interesting things to discover.” 

Rodney gave him a grateful look, Jeannie looked pissed. John smiled. 

John and Rodney spent another day at the museum and made the acquaintance of Professor Zelenka, one of the main contributors to the exhibition. The professor invited them for the next afternoon to his country house and they gladly accepted. 

But before they could go there, Rodney had to suffer through one more of Jeannie’s social events. For the evening, she had organized gambling tables where the guests could play Whist, Faro, and Picket. She installed Rodney at a table for four persons, sent him two lovely ladies, but before she could send him a third one, John took the last remaining seat. 

Rodney had to admit that with John at his side the evening was bearable. John talked to the ladies, even flirted a bit with them – which surprisingly made Rodney feel angry – and he helped Rodney win round after round, so that Rodney left the table around midnight with quite a stack of coins in front of him, and a warm feeling in his heart. 

Rodney and John both had the impression that Jeannie wouldn’t welcome another day spent away from the court, and therefore the next day they slunk away from the palace before breakfast, leaving a letter in which they explained that they were off to visit Professor Zelenka. 

The professor showed them his experiments, explained everything, and when after lunch John went on a hike of his own, Rodney didn’t mind because he had so many things to discuss with someone interested in the same fields than he was. The professor and he were rarely of the same opinion, but that didn’t matter, the intellectual challenge was what counted. 

John was back for tea time and all three of them had a pick-nick, sitting on a blanket in the shades of an old oak tree. Rodney leaned with his back against the tree and didn’t mind one bit when John stretched out on the blanket and laid his head on Rodney’s thigh while they were all discussing and speculating about what held the stars in the sky. Much too soon it was time to go home again. Professor Zelenka promised to stay in contact and visit Rodney the next time he was in town. 

In the carriage they sat side by side in direction of travel because Rodney got motion sick if he had to sit in the other direction. They spent some time in companionable silence, and only after a while John said, “That was fun, wasn’t it?” 

“Yes. Absolutely!” Rodney beamed. 

“Maybe you should leave your ivory tower more often,” John teased. 

“Pfft. Nonsense.” But Rodney bumped his shoulder against John’s and after a moment of hesitation he admitted, “Perhaps you’re right. But only a tiny little bit. And only for people like the professor. And… you.” He looked at John. 

“I…,” John said and cleared his throat nervously, obviously at a loss for words. 

Rodney was the first one to admit that he was bad with reading people, but in this moment he was quite sure about what he was reading in John’s eyes. Longing and the wish to kiss him. Rodney felt a flutter in his stomach, suddenly his palms were very sweaty, and his heartbeat accelerated. And there was a tingling and a yearning in his whole body that was wonderful and frightening simultaneously. But before he had enough time to overanalyze his feelings, John’s face came nearer and nearer, Rodney bent a bit forward, and in the next moment their lips were touching. They were kissing. 

And it wasn’t like kissing Katie on the cheek, or being kissed by Larrin on the mouth – it was… it was… Rodney groaned and fisted the lapel of John’s jacket to bring him another inch closer. John felt so good under his lips and under his hands, which were combing through his wild hair. John moaned so enticingly when he licked with his tongue against John’s tongue. And Rodney noticed that his analytical faculties were quickly deteriorating because he couldn’t separate the overwhelming feelings anymore. His whole body was pulsing with yearning, the wish to be close to John, to feel him everywhere. 

This was a first for him because usually he held people at arm’s length. But John was different. He smelled so good, and the five-o’clock stubble under his fingers tips was the most exciting experience since the discovery of steam power. And the effect John had on other parts of his anatomy – utter madness! Rodney groaned when he felt his member stiffening in his much too tight trousers. Why had he worn trousers that left nothing to imagination? One look and John would know… and that thought alone made Rodney harder. He moaned into the kiss. 

After doing something illegally good with his tongue, that made Rodney’s toes curl, John ended the kiss, put his hand on Rodney’s chest and said, “Perhaps we should wait until we’re back at the palace – or at least close the curtains.” He smiled at Rodney mischievously. 

Back in the palace…? “Oh, no,” Rodney groaned. “Jeannie!” 

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell her it was my idea to visit the professor,” John calmed him. 

“No, no, you don’t understand.” Rodney took a deep breath and laid his hand over John’s to soften the blow. “Okay, the truth. Jeannie wants to marry the miller’s son. But there’s this silly law that says that she can only do so, after I’m married. And therefore she’s presenting me one lady after the other, and I… I don’t want to marry them. But now I can’t come home and say ‘by the way, I’m having a roll in the hay with that handsome prince’, and…”  
John started laughing, and Rodney was a bit miffed because this was no laughing matter at all, and he boxed his elbow into John’s ribs to make him stop, but that only made John laugh even harder. 

“Hey, stop, you moron!” Rodney was really pissed now. 

John battled to regain his composure and when there was nothing more than a fond smile on his lips he grabbed Rodney’s hand in his and said, “Listen, Rodney. In our kingdom the same silly law exists, and I’m the elder brother. Dave wants to marry Vivian, and my father brought me here, because he thought that Jeannie might be the perfect bride for me.” 

“She’s my sister,” Rodney said frowning. 

“I know. She’s lovely but I’m not interested in her. I’m… uhm… much more interested in men, which my father knows but doesn’t want to acknowledge. And yes…” John rubbed at an imaginary dust on his jacket sleeve, “I’d rather have a ‘roll in the hay’ with you.” 

“Wow. I mean, that would be… perfect.” Rodney beamed enthusiastically, before his facial expression darkened again. “But that’s not possible. And what’s with your brother’s fiancée? I mean, if you have to marry first?” 

“Dave made the betrothal official to force my hand. I’m running out of time to find someone.” 

“So do I,” Rodney nodded. “Even if Jeannie hasn’t made anything official yet.” 

John’s hand caressed Rodney’s fingers. “Hmm, we can wallow in self-pity now, or we can come up with an ingenious plan.” He looked at Rodney expectantly. 

“You…” Rodney started while John’s fingers were painting soft swirls on the tender skin of Rodney’s wrists and a hot wave of want and need and arousal ran through Rodney. “Stop doing that, I can’t concentrate,” he chided half-heartedly. 

John grinned. “I like that. It’s a good basis for marriage when I know how to distract you.” 

“M… marriage?” Rodney really tried to not to squeak. “You and me?” 

“Is that a problem in your kingdom?” 

“No… no… it isn’t. It’s not done very often, but there’s no law against it,” Rodney replied. And suddenly he knew that this was indeed an ingenious plan. Not only would Jeannie and Dave be able to marry – he would get one of the hottest princes he had ever laid eyes on! And John loved flying machines, and discussions about astrophysics, and he made even social gatherings bearable, and - “I’ll marry you,” Rodney stated. 

“Cool!” John beamed. Then he said more seriously, “I know that we've known each other only for three days, but that’s longer than some couples do. My father married my mother after seeing a small portrait of her.” He shook his head. 

“We’ll be fine,” Rodney assured him the moment the carriage stopped in front of the palace. He squeezed John’s hand and John squeezed back. 

When they later told their families who were already gathered in the dining room about their wonderful plan, there were a lot of incredulous stares. But before one of the kings could oppose to this marriage, Jeannie rushed to Rodney and hugged her brother until he complained. Then she hugged John fiercely and told them how happy she was for them. 

And when, in that embrace, Jeannie looked really closely – she saw that John’s black hair had exactly the same colour as the mane of her beloved horse Atlantis! Holy moly! The Fairy Queen had kept her word and sent a husband for her brother! 

And they would *all* be married before the end of the year.

\---------THE END------- 

©Antares, July 2016 


End file.
